Online learning VS traditional learning

Choosing the type of education that suits your interests and talents can be difficult in this day and age. The sheer number of options at our disposal is staggering, not to mention the ability to completely skip academic studies and opt for online learning instead.

But what are the differences between learning something online and learning it in a college environment? Besides the obvious difference that comes from their names, what are some of the most essential and useful points to note when it comes to online versus traditional learning?

Online learning

Unlimited flexibility

Online learning has been the go-to place of studies for many people who can’t attend school full-time. It allows you to learn anytime you want and in any environment you see fit, since all it requires is an internet connection and a trusty smart device.

While this does provide a number of learning options from the get-go, it can also be problematic for people who can’t concentrate at home. Finding a learning spot is just as important as discovering the right lesson for yourself, since online learning is hugely open to any number of fields and skills you might want to add to your repertoire.

Ability to rewind and repeat

Learning through your computer means that you can always pause, rewind and repeat lessons that you already covered. This is good for people with short attention spans, unmotivated learners and people who simply want to make sure they got things right the first time around.

Keep in mind that this also means that you will be less motivated to pay attention since you can always go back and listen to a lecture again, which is impossible in the traditional learning method. Regardless, this provides a huge benefit to the online learning method compared to its alternatives.

Available to anyone, anywhere

Online learning is available to anyone who knows the language the lessons were created in and wants to learn useful new information. This means that even people in Japan, Germany or South Africa can enjoy lessons that someone in Brazil created.

While this is only an arbitrary example, it goes to show how open online learning is to anyone who wants to join the learning process. Even the best essay writing services online provide the same amount of freedom in learning and writing, so make sure to take that into account.

Cheaper and faster than traditional learning

We all know that tuition fees and study expenses can be hard to manage, especially for young people without family support behind them. Luckily, online learning doesn’t put such obstacles in the way of learning and often provides many useful lessons free of charge.

Looking for the particular skill, knowledge or how-to tutorial on the internet is a matter of searching for the right keywords. This learning process is also far more practical and faster than traditional learning that still relies on a lot of theoretical knowledge.

Traditional learning

Steady flow of learning

One of the benefits of traditional learning is the learning pace and process that students go through on a yearly basis. Instead of learning a skill during a two-week online lesson, students often spend an entire academic year working on a particular skill (among others).

This flow of learning is much better in the long run since students are able to memorize and apply much more knowledge in the long run. While it is important to get up to speed with specific skills that you might be missing as soon as possible, it should be noted that traditional learning does provide a more long-term form of memorizing the subject matter.

Greater discipline and mentorship

The biggest problem that plagues online learning is the sense of discipline (or lack thereof). Students are constantly struggling to focus on important lectures that are presented to them online where no one watches over their progress. Worst of all, some learning platforms don’t even give you a sense of accomplishment through rudimentary achievements or progress bars, further deemphasizing personal motivation and discipline.

This is the polar opposite of traditional learning where progress and development is carefully tracked by the professor. No matter what subject you are working on at any moment, you can safely rely on your professor for guidance and motivation at any given point.

More social interaction

Online learning isn’t the most welcoming place when it comes to social interaction and cooperation. While some courses do provide ground for cooperation and interaction, most of them are centered on your personal development without much room form communication.

This is where traditional learning excels, giving you plenty of room to talk to your peers, discuss current learning problems and help each other out. Networking is important in traditional learning and can help people develop professional careers as soon as they graduate.

Greater sense of accomplishment

Provided that you have spent a couple of years in an academic institution studying the field you are interested in, you will feel a far greater sense of accomplishment compared to online learning. Online courses are a great way to fill in the gaps you might have in your education and get up to speed with current trends.

Traditional learning is the long-form education system that should be prioritized if you are unfamiliar with a certain field but want to dedicate your professional career to that cause. Graduating from a university will provide you with not only a diploma and a reference, but also with a personal sense of achievement that very few online learning programs can provide.

In conclusion

Weighing the pros and cons of online versus traditional learning sometimes seems like an unfair struggle. Both of these methods should be utilized in order to achieve personal potential, no matter what field you operate in.

Use traditional learning to achieve academic education and online learning to learn useful, up-to-date skills and information about your niche. Combining the best of both worlds will help you become a respected professional in your field far easier than by using only one of these learning methods in your practice.

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